Yesterday, comedy writer Bruce Vilanch told New York magazine James Franco "didn't get there" as co-host alongside Anne Hathaway. Franco subsequently tweeted: "Bruce he let me down" and posted a photograph of himself and Vilanch upon which he had scrawled the scornful words: "James fucked up the Oscars. Trust me, I know comedy. I mean, come on, I write for Bette Midler!" Franco later removed the posts.

In his interview, Vilanch said Franco's hosting stint had been damaged by his heavy schedule. As well as film work, the actor attends Yale University and makes appearances on the daytime TV show General Hospital, purportedly as part of a performance art project. "He has so many balls in the air, he didn't get to town till Thursday before the show on Sunday," said Vilanch. "And so we emailed a lot. But we had a lot of meetings. He had a bunch of people who were writing for him, and if it had been him alone, it would have been different. But it was him and Anne Hathaway, and they both had to be serviced. So there was a lot of communication beforehand. But he didn't get there."

Vilanch also commented on suggestions in some quarters that Franco might have been under the influence. "I was with him, and he wasn't high. And I asked him, 'Are you high, and can I have some?' And he said no to both."